Cassoulet, to quote Julia Child, may be everyday fare for a peasant, but it’s “ambrosia for a gastronome.” And in midwinter, there’s very little that’s as satisfying, as comforting or as warming as this French bean stew, slow-cooked with lots of fat and hunks of meat and a carrot or two.
“It’s cheap, it’s great comfort food, and [the weather] just got cold, so it’s the perfect time of year for it,” says Cathy Erway, author of the popular blog Not Eating Out in New York.
And it’s getting more popular, says Jimmy Carbone, owner of Jimmy’s No. 43, which plays host to an annual cassoulet cook-off taking place this year on Sunday. There you can sample 10 or more different cassoulets.
“Cassoulet is trendy. It’s the new ramen.”
- Jimmy Carbone, owner of Jimmy's No. 43
“Eight years ago, when we had our first cook-off, it was people over 50 who were nostalgic for the days when French bistros were all the rage,” he says. But with hot gastro-teques like Dirty French popping up, the crowd has gotten considerably younger. “Cassoulet is trendy,” says Carbone. “It’s the new ramen.”
Cassoulet, at its core, is beans — traditionally white beans, but you can use any dried beans — simmered with whatever meat scraps and leftovers you have lying around, then baked in an oven at low heat, with browned duck confit, sausage or bacon fat. But Erway recommends playing around with different ingredients: She’s made vegetarian cassoulet, subbing in a rich chestnut roux for the duck fat. “That’s the beauty of cassoulet,” she says. “It’s so easy to adapt.”
“It’s beans cooked in fat,” says Carbone when asked why the renewed interest. “That’s what good food is. Fat.”
Cassoulet Cook-off, Sunday, noon to 3 p.m., $30. 43 E. Seventh St., between Second and Third avenues; 212-982-3006, jimmysno43.com/events
Apartment-kitchen cassoulet
Cassoulet is the ultimate winter comfort food. Chef Annette Tomei has simplified this sometimes-complex French dish down to its essence — “beans and pork products baked to perfection” — so anyone can make it, even in the tiniest apartment kitchen. “Still, this is not a 30-minute meal,” says Tomei. “Allow a leisurely afternoon for the complete preparation: It’s worth it.”
Prepare the beans (can be done up to one day in advance):
1 package navy beans soaked overnight, drained
1 ham hock
Bouquet garni: 2 bay leaves, 1 teaspoon black peppercorns and 2 branches of thyme all tied in a cheesecloth with butcher’s twine
1 large onion, quartered
In a large pot, place the beans, hock, bouquet garni and onion. Simmer on medium heat until the beans are tender but not too soft.
Drain, reserving 1 quart of the liquid, discard the onion pieces and the bouquet garni, use the ham hock in the cassoulet.
Prepare the cassoulet:
Presoaked and cooked beans
1-2 celery stalks, diced
1-2 carrots, diced
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup white wine
2-3 branches fresh thyme and/or rosemary
14-ounce can diced tomatoes, with juices
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1-2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 pound kielbasa or other smoky sausage, cut in 1-inch chunks
Ham hock from the beans
2 smoked or fresh pork chops
1 pound good-quality bacon
1½ cups breadcrumbs (panko is great)
2 tablespoons bacon fat, duck fat or butter
Salt and pepper
Heat oven to 325 degrees. Combine all ingredients except the meats. Check seasoning.
Layer half the mixture in a Dutch oven or deep casserole dish that can be covered, then top with meats, reserving half the bacon for the top. Top with remaining bean mixture. Layer the top with the remaining bacon. Cover.
Bake for at least 1 hour before checking. If after 1 hour there is a lot of liquid, remove lid and cook down if needed. If there is not enough liquid and the mixture is getting too dry, add a bit of the reserved bean-cooking liquid.
Prepare the crust: Mix the breadcrumbs with melted fat and season.
When the cassoulet is bubbling and the beans are tender and bacon rendered, uncover and top with bread crumbs. Increase the heat to 375 and bake an additional 15 to 20 minutes until the breadcrumbs begin to toast.
Allow to rest 15 to 30 minutes before serving with a simple salad and crusty bread.